The actors of the video game Hollywood workers will go on strike on Friday to demand labor protections in the face of the advance of artificial intelligence, the union that represents them announced.
The strike by actors who voice and move video game characters begins at 12:01 am (04:01 GMT) in California, according to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA).
Thursday’s announcement comes After more than a year and a half of fruitless negotiations between the guild and several industry giants, such as Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Games.
“We will not agree to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough,” said Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president and star of the 1990s series “The Nanny,” in a statement.
“When these companies get serious and offer a deal that allows our members to live and work, we will be there, ready to negotiate,” added Drescher, who last year led the actors’ strike that, along with the writers’ strike, paralyzed Hollywood for months.
The agreement under discussion covers some 2,600 artists who dub voices in video games or whose physical movements are recorded to serve as a basis for computer-generated characters.
Union members are concerned about the use of AI in the industry, one of the key issues in discussions held by actors and screenwriters with entertainment giants.
It was crucial for artists to establish labor protections at a time when AI is increasingly used in content creation.
After the historic double strike yielded the expected contractual results, SAG-AFTRA is now pursuing the same safeguards for artists in the video game industry.
“It is shocking that game studios have learned nothing from the lessons of the past year, that our members can and will rise up to demand equal and fair treatment on AI, and that the audiences are behind us,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s chief negotiator.
The actors had already authorized the union to strike in September. The contractual conditions governing their work expired in November 2022.
Industry producers say there has been progress in negotiations.
“We are disappointed that the union chose to walk away from the table when we are so close to an agreement, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations,” Audrey Cooling, a spokeswoman for the producers, said in a separate statement.
According to Cooling, Current offer includes “historic wage increases” and “significant protections against AI”such as requiring “consent and fair compensation” for artists.